AMA's Business Grammar Workshop

Professionals who can write clearly and correctly are far more valuable to an organization than those whose business writing is filled with errors. Whether you need to refresh your knowledge of grammar and punctuation—or know what’s grammatically correct but can’t always explain why—this highly interactive and collaborative course is the perfect and painless solution. Grammar in business writing gives you the tools to correctly apply the standard rules for proper usage in business writing. Using hands-on exercises, you’ll work with seminar colleagues to apply what you’ve learned so you can return to your job with the confidence of a writing pro.

• Produce coherent sentences that quickly get to the point
• Edit for agreement between parts of speech within a sentence
• Apply simple, effective tips for proper grammar, usage and punctuation
• Correctly proofread business messages
• Use rules of Standard English to critique your own writing
• Select the appropriate grammar to suit the business situation

• Finding typical (and not-so-typical) errors in grammar
• Common verb mistakes: tense, mood, subject-verb agreement
• Adjective-adverb confusion
• Building and deconstructing grammatically correct sentences
• Dangling and misplaced modifiers
• Active and passive voice
• Working with “exceptions to the rule”

Learning Objectives

• Write Grammatically Correct Business Documents
• Produce Clear and Concise Sentences
• Edit for Agreement Between Parts of Speech Within a Sentence
• Employ Simple, Memorable Tips for Proper Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation
• Proofread Business Documents for Grammatical Correctness
• Apply Rules of Standard English to Critique Your Own Writing
• Select the Appropriate Grammar to Suit the Business Situation
• Identify Excellent Print and Electronic Grammar Resources

LESSON ONE
Business Grammar Overview

• Clarify Differences Among Tricky Grammar Rules
• Assess Your Depth of Grammar Knowledge
• Correct Common Errors in Business Grammar

Verbs—All Tensed Up

• Identify Excellent Grammar Print Resources
• Distinguish Among the Eight Parts of Speech in Standard English
• Correct Verb Tense and Agreement Errors in Common Sentences

Adjectives/Adverbs—Addled Additives

• Identify Excellent Online Grammar Resources
• Distinguish Between the Most Commonly Confused Adjective-Adverb Pairs
• Apply the Linking Verb Rule for Selecting the Correct Adjective or Adverb

LESSON TWO
Prim and Proper Pronouns

• Identify the Proper Source for Commonly Used Pronouns
• Use Workarounds for an Awkward Grammar Rule

Wobbly Words

• Use Mnemonic Devices to Remember the Distinctions Among Tricky Word Pairs and Trios
• Choose Correctly from Commonly Confused Words

Mainly Mechanics

• Edit for Correct Capitalization, Abbreviation, and Number Usage
• Correct a Document for Errors in Parts of Speech and Mechanics

LESSON THREE
Building Sentences

• Identify the Main Parts of a Sentence
• Construct and Deconstruct Grammatically Correct Sentences

Running Stop Signs and Stopping Short—Run-ons and Fragments

• Identify Common Sentence Structure Errors
• Remedy Grammatically Flawed Sentences

Punctuation Pointers

• Define the Purpose and Application of Each Punctuation Mark
• Choose the Correct Punctuation Mark in Diverse Sentences

LESSON FOUR
Dazed by Phrases, Paused by Clauses

• Distinguish Between Phrases and Clauses
• Identify and Correct Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
• Edit Unclear Pronoun References
• Align Words, Phrases, and Clauses for Parallel Structure
• Convert Sentences from Passive Voice to Active Voice

Grammar Improvement Plan

• Articulate the Effects of Globalization and Technology on English Grammar in the Workplace
• List Areas of Strength in Grammar Developed in This Workshop and Areas of Need in Grammar to Be Developed Further
• Create an Action Plan for Continual Improvement in Grammar

Download Extended Seminar Outline PDF